Nick Whalen ranks each of the 22 teams heading to Orlando for the restart, which begins July 30.
1. 
Milwaukee Bucks
While the Clippers remain my personal pick to win the Finals, I still have to hand Milwaukee the No. 1 spot in the power rankings. The Bucks won nine more games than the Clippers during the regular season and are anchored by a soon-to-be-two-time MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Khris Middleton isn't Paul George, but he's quietly put together another fantastic season and will have a good chance to join the 50/40/90 club.
2. 
Los Angeles Clippers
LA's other team grabbed the momentum prior to the shutdown, but the Clippers are in better shape entering the restart. At full strength with a roster that's deep at every position, the Clippers are better positioned to weather injuries and slumps. If the Leonard-George and LeBron-Davis duos are a wash, I trust the rest of the Clippers' contributors far more than the Lakers' -- especially in the backcourt.
3. 
Los Angeles Lakers
Pick against LeBron James at your own risk. If both he and Anthony Davis are locked in, the Lakers are the toughest team in the league to beat in a seven-game series. But the Lakers come to Orlando carrying serious depth concerns after losing Avery Bradley and, potentially, Dwight Howard. Guard depth was already a weakness before the shutdown, and now the Lakers will be forced to rely on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, Dion Waiters,
Nick Whalen ranks each of the 22 teams heading to Orlando for the restart, which begins July 30.
1. Milwaukee Bucks
While the Clippers remain my personal pick to win the Finals, I still have to hand Milwaukee the No. 1 spot in the power rankings. The Bucks won nine more games than the Clippers during the regular season and are anchored by a soon-to-be-two-time MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Khris Middleton isn't Paul George, but he's quietly put together another fantastic season and will have a good chance to join the 50/40/90 club.
2. Los Angeles Clippers
LA's other team grabbed the momentum prior to the shutdown, but the Clippers are in better shape entering the restart. At full strength with a roster that's deep at every position, the Clippers are better positioned to weather injuries and slumps. If the Leonard-George and LeBron-Davis duos are a wash, I trust the rest of the Clippers' contributors far more than the Lakers' -- especially in the backcourt.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
Pick against LeBron James at your own risk. If both he and Anthony Davis are locked in, the Lakers are the toughest team in the league to beat in a seven-game series. But the Lakers come to Orlando carrying serious depth concerns after losing Avery Bradley and, potentially, Dwight Howard. Guard depth was already a weakness before the shutdown, and now the Lakers will be forced to rely on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, Dion Waiters, J.R. Smith and Rajon Rondo for meaningful, high-leverage stretches.
4. 
Toronto Raptors
Getting through Milwaukee again -- this time without Kawhi Leonard -- is a difficult ask, but the Raptors have the depth and length to give the Bucks problems. With nearly every key contributor missing time before the shutdown, we'll finally get to see Toronto at full strength. The question is how much losing Leonard lowers the Raptors' ceiling in the postseason.
5. 
Houston Rockets
If there's a team out West than can upset one, or both, of the LA teams, oddsmakers believe it's the Rockets. Houston's small-ball style has its limitations, but the Rockets will force opponents to adjust in ways that other teams won't. James Harden and Russell Westbrook aren't exactly known for their postseason exploits, but any roster with two former MVPs has to be taken seriously.
6. 
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets' record suggests they're just a slight step behind the Clippers -- 1.5 games, to be exact -- but it certainly doesn't feel that way. Despite having an MVP candidate at center and a deep supporting cast of good-not-great players, the Nuggets will have to prove they belong near the top of the West before anyone buys in.
7. 
Boston Celtics
Despite going just 6-5 after the All-Star break, the Celtics seem to have picked up steam as a potential foil to Milwaukee in the East. A good chunk of that confidence stems from the development of Jayson Tatum, who spent his last 20 games looking like an All-NBA First-Teamer. From Jan. 18 through Mar. 10, Tatum averaged 28.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 block per game, all while shooting 48 percent from the field and 46 percent (!!) from three. If Tatum can pick up where he left off, and Kemba Walker's knee issues are behind him, Boston should be taken seriously.
8. 
Philadelphia 76ers
My heart says the Sixers deserve to be ranked higher, but much like Miami-Dade police lieutenant Horatio Caine, I'm professionally obligated to follow the evidence. The Sixers were essentially a Knicks-level team on the road this season, and while they cleaned up at Wells Fargo Arena, they'll be far from the comforts of home in Orlando. Injuries are partially to blame for a sluggish 65-game sample, but even when healthy, Brett Brown never quite figured out the best way to deploy Al Horford.
9. 
Oklahoma City Thunder
I was admittedly skeptical of the Thunder building around an aging Chris Paul -- even on a temporary basis -- but OKC has demanded the respect of the league after finishing 16 games above .500 before the shutdown. Depth is still an issue, but as of March the Thunder had figured out a nearly perfect rotation, utilizing three primary guards, with Steven Adams anchoring a top-10 defense. The Thunder may not have the highest ceiling, but they're not a team anyone is looking forward to facing in Round 1.
10. 
Miami Heat
The Heat have a budding superstar in Bam Adebayo and an established frontman in Jimmy Butler. Will the supporting cast, an eclectic mix of veterans and young players, be enough to carry Miami beyond the second round? The Heat were 31-13 at one point before finishing under .500 over their final 21 games.
11. 
Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic is already a borderline-top-five player, and Kristaps Porzingis was steadily improving leading up to the shutdown. That duo was the engine of the league's best offense, but do the Mavs have enough around them to push for a higher seed, or challenge the LA teams in Round 1?
12. 
Utah Jazz
Entering the restart 18 games over .500, the Jazz can't be written off entirely. But losing Bogdan Bogdanovic is a massive blow for a team with already-shaky depth on the wing. No Bogdanovic means more responsibility for Joe Ingles, while Royce O'Neale, Georges Niang and Jordan Clarkson will also be asked to step up.
13. 
Indiana Pacers
Indiana got very little out of Victor Oladipo and finished 39-26 before the shutdown. So even with no Oladipo in Orlando, the Pacers could still be a tough out. But his absence all but erases any notion that the Pacers could go from frisky five seed to dark-horse Conference Finals contender.
14. 
Memphis Grizzlies
On paper, there's a case to be made that the Blazers and Pelicans may have more talent than Memphis. But the Grizzlies proved their worth during the regular season, finishing 19-11 over their final 30 games following a 13-22 start. Jaren Jackson and Brandon Clarke will both return healthy, and they'll team with Ja Morant to form one of the best young trios in the league.
15. 
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland got exactly 86 minutes from Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic this season. Their returns could significantly raise the Blazers' ceiling, but I'm not willing to automatically put them ahead of the Grizzlies -- especially considering Nurkic hasn't played in an NBA game in almost a year-and-a-half. Portland also has some rotation issues to sort out after Trevor Ariza opted against joining the team in Orlando.
16. 
New Orleans Pelicans
Like Portland, New Orleans has plenty of proving to do once play resumes. Few teams will have an answer for a fully unleashed Zion Williamson, but the Pels were barely a .500 team after the No. 1 pick debuted. How Williamson and the Pelicans fare in their first three games -- against the Jazz, Clippers and Grizzlies -- might determine whether they'll ultimately challenge for the final playoff spot in the West.
17. 
Sacramento Kings
This team looked like the Same Old Kings™ for most of the season, yet finds itself very much in the thick of the eighth seed race. It'll be an uphill climb, but the Kings have a favorable schedule that includes two opportunities to face off against New Orleans. With a healthy Richaun Holmes, Sacramento's issues at center should be (mostly) solved.
18. 
Orlando Magic
Not much to say here. Technically, the Magic have a better record than the three teams ahead of them, but would you confidently pick Orlando to beat Memphis, Portland or New Orleans straight-up? The Magic should be able to hold on to a playoff spot, and their ultimate goal should be quite simple: avoid Milwaukee at all costs.
19. 
Phoenix Suns
Really thought about ranking the Suns ahead of the Magic, but I just couldn't do it. Their chances to make the playoffs are extremely slim, and a tough schedule that sees Dallas, the Clippers, Indiana, Miami, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, and Dallas again certainly doesn't help. At the very least, Phoenix should be one of the most fun teams to watch on a Tuesday afternoon -- especially if Kelly Oubre is cleared to return.
20. 
Brooklyn Nets
On one hand, I'm not entirely convinced that the Nets will have enough to hang on to a playoff spot. On the other, the only team chasing them is the Wizards. With no Kevin Durant, no Kyrie Irving, no DeAndre Jordan and perhaps no Spencer Dinwiddie, this could be Caris LeVert's national coming out party.
21. 
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs were 23-30 with their best player in the lineup. Take away LaMarcus Aldridge and the flaws in the roster become even more glaring. Unless new addition Tyler Zeller has something up his sleeve, it's going to be a long two-and-a-half weeks for Gregg Popovich.
22. 
Washington Wizards
Mathematically, Washington is very much alive for the eighth seed, needing to gain just 1.5 games on Orlando or 2.0 games on Brooklyn to trigger a play-in tournament. But the upside -- a front-row seat to a four-game Giannis dunk contest -- is quite minimal. Davis Bertans has already opted out, and 30-point-per-game scorer Bradley Beal is yet to make up his mind. If Beal sits, Shabazz Napier is suddenly the No. 1 scoring option. So yeah.
